The Return
by PaceysLilMcPhee
Summary: An old friend returns. How does the group react? What will this mean for an old particular couple? And what is the mystery behind this friends return?[CHAPTER 5 ADDED 12/7]
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Return 

Author: Lauren

Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com

Summary: Liz and Maria receive an unexpected visitor to the Crashdown late one night. Who is it and how will it cause everyone to reevaluate what they believed about Khivar and Tess?

Author's Note: This takes place after Cry Your Name. And most of season 2…I haven't decided on an exact timeframe but it does take place somewhere after Cry Your Name. So be ready for any references to time before and perhaps after that. 

Rating: PG-13. Rating is subject to change.

Coupling: CC couples from after and before Cry Your Name. Haven't decided if all will appear or just some. But expect most. The only one for certain that will appear is M/M

Chapter 1

          "Hey, Maria, just wipe off the counter. I'll get the booths," Liz called out from the back of the Crashdown.

          "Sure thing!" Maria yelled back as she grabbed a rag. Their shift was over, and they were cleaning up and locking up for the night. Just as Maria finished wiping down the counter she heard the ring of the bells as the door to the Crashdown opened.

          "We're closed," Maria said, "Come back tomorrow." Maria turned around to face the intruder and dropped the rag on the floor.

          "Liz!" Maria screamed.

          "I'm back," Alex said smiling and dropping his bags on the ground.

          Liz pushed the swinging door open as she walked out to the dining area of the Crashdown to investigate the reason for Maria's scream. As she entered the dining area she called out to Maria. 

          "Maria, who is it? Just tell them we'll reopen tomorr-" Liz said until she saw Alex standing in front of them.

          "Aren't you girls happy to see me? This is the first place I've stopped since I got back home," he told them with a confused and clueless tone. When Maria nor Liz spoke he asked, "What's up? Did something happen while I was gone or something?"

          "You can't really be here," Maria whispered, her words barely audible.

          "Why not?" Alex asked confused. "Liz, what's up with Maria? And you for that matter?"

          "You're dead," Liz told him as she moved closer to him slowly.

          "What are you talking about, I'm not dead! I'm right here. I was away in Sweden. You knew that I sent you emails. What kind of prank is this? Because it's getting kinda creepy," Alex said glancing from Liz's wide eyes to Maria who had her mouth wide open in surprise.

          "I think we better go figure out what's going on," Liz said to him, "Because I promise, this is no prank." Then she reached out and touched his shoulder seemingly trying to accept that he was really standing in front of her. That he was really real. Alex looked to her and Liz smiled. Then Liz reached up and hugged him.     

          "It's um, nice to have you back," she said.

          "It's nice to see you too," Alex replied, "But I wanna know what you're talking about."

          "We'll tell you. I think you'd better come upstairs before anyone sees you through the windows or anything," Liz said as she nodded towards the stairs. Alex grabbed his bags and followed Liz up the stairs to her room with Maria at his heels. He had a lot to learn about what had been going on in Roswell since he left.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Return 

Author: Lauren

Author Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com

Author's Note: All info included with first chapter. Nothing much to this second chapter but I promise it'll get more interesting. But I'm having major problems with writer's block. Grr…

Chapter 2/?

          Alex and Maria sat on Liz's bed while Liz paced back and forth in front of it as she tried to contact Max via phone. Maria and Alex sat in silence until Maria sporadically leaned over and hugged him tight.

          "Maria? You alright?" Alex asked once he was able to breathe again.

          Maria pulled away with watery eyes. "We thought you were dead."

          "How did that happen?" Alex questioned. He was completely confused and out of the loop. He had been in Sweden the entire time and had thought he'd return home to a normal homecoming. Hugs, smiles, no tears, at least the type that were threatening to slide down Maria's cheeks. He should have known nothing was normal anymore anyway.

          Maria quickly relayed the events that had occurred from the time he supposedly returned and the present. By the time she was finished Alex was in awe and completely speechless. Only in Roswell could something like that happen.

          "So Tess is gone?"

          Maria confirmed Alex's question with a nod.

          "She didn't really kill me though. Did she know it wasn't really me?"

          Maria shook her head. "I don't know, I'm completely confused! I'm sure Liz and everyone will have a theory in no time. They'll figure it out. I'm just glad you're back."

          Alex smiled at Maria to reassure her. "Me too."

          "Just get over here," Alex and Maria heard Liz saying. "Remember to get everyone else over here too," she continued. She hung up the phone and turned back to the bed after she stopped pacing. "They're on their way," Liz informed the two. Alex and Maria nodded.

          Not able to stop himself, Alex asked, "How's Isabel?"

          "What's wrong now?" Isabel asked, annoyed. She had been busy reorganizing her purse when Max had ran into the house. Max had received Liz's call on his cell phone and he was telling Isabel everything she had said. She hadn't said much, just that everyone needed to get over to her place right then and now. Max informed Isabel that she had sounded nervous but Isabel thought he was probably just exaggerating. Nevertheless, she had joined him in the repaired Jeep and they were on their way to the Crashdown.

          "I don't know what's wrong but something happened. We'll find out when we get there. Michael and Kyle are already on their way."

          When they pulled into the Crashdown Kyle was already walking to the door and Michael was climbing off his motorcycle. They all walked through the unlocked door of the Crashdown. None had any idea what the urgent meeting was about as they filed up the stairs – first Max, then Michael, Kyle and Isabel.

          They reached Liz's door and Max was about to knock when it creaked open and Liz stuck her head out. 

          "Hey guys," she greeted. She stepped out into the hallway and the door closed behind her.

          "Liz, what's going on?" Max asked, trying to take charge of the situation like usual.

          "Um, there's someone here we haven't seen for awhile," she replied.

          "Who?" Michael asked impatiently.

          Liz pushed open the door behind her to reveal Maria…and Alex.

          "Hey, how's it going?" Alex said as the four looked on in surprise.

          The four, still stunned, followed Liz through the door. Max was about to say something when Isabel interrupted him.

          "What kind of cruel joke is this?" she asked leaning against the door. "I don't know who you are but this is cruel." Isabel looked to Maria and Liz. "Are you seeing who I am?" They nodded. "You're crazy," she said shaking her head. She was also trying to keep her hands from shaking. "This can't be him…he's gone. You're gone," Isabel said turning her gaze back to Alex. She had a look of hope but it was hidden behind a look of pain, Alex could tell. Most of the others could as well, but before they could stop her, she took a deep breath, to try to control her emotions, and walked back out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Return 

Author: Lauren

Author Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com

Author's Note: All info included with first chapter

Chapter 3/?

          After Isabel walked out the door, Alex and Max began to head for the door to follow her. Liz stopped them.

          "Let me go after her," she said. The two guys looked at her and Max nodded. Liz walked to the door, closing it behind her. She walked slowly down the stairs to the Crashdown where she found Isabel at the pod squad's usual booth. She had her head in her hands and didn't look anything like Liz knew Isabel Evans to be. She didn't have her high and mighty Ice Princess act displayed like she usually did – she looked vulnerable and hurting like any other normal human being would be if in her place.

          "Isabel?" Liz said quietly as she approached the booth. Isabel didn't look up but she did respond.

          "Please just tell me if I'm hallucinating."

          "I don't think so."

          Liz took a seat across from Isabel as she looked up at Liz. "But he was…he was! We saw it. Max tried to help him and he couldn't. So that just can't be him."

          "Isabel, that wasn't him. I'm almost positive about that."

          Isabel looked suspicious. "Not him? Who could it have been then?"

          "I don't know, but that's what I got everyone over here for. So we can find out," Liz explained. She stood up and looked to Isabel once again. After a moment, Isabel stood up as well and they walked back up the stairs to where everyone was waiting and conversing. They walked in to see Kyle asking Alex a question while Maria stood with her arms crossed across her chest and her eyes fixed glaring at Kyle.

          "…the song we sang out in the woods…you remember what it was?"

          Alex nodded and answered, "Yeah, American Pie."

          Kyle had a look of disbelief on his face. Maria continued to glare at Kyle as she said, trying to keep her voice down and only half succeeding, "See?! It really is Alex. Do you believe him and us now?"

          "I think he just wanted to be sure, Maria. I mean, you know as well as I do that we've met the skins and after that I don't blame anyone for being slightly suspicious. I'm sure Alex understands that," Max said.

          Alex looked to Maria and nodded. "I remember when Nasedo was able to turn into Agent Pierce…believe me, I'm suspicious of me at this point."

          After Alex's statement they finally all noticed Liz and Isabel's entrance. They all looked at Isabel, concerned after her recent exit. All but Alex knew what she was like after he had supposedly died earlier that year. Although Isabel didn't know Max knew, he knew what she was like during the night. Most of the night she didn't sleep, she just cried, trying to stifle her heaving sighs in an attempt to control her tears, in her pillow. When she did sleep, she slept fitfully; never going through a period of sleep without experiencing a terrible nightmare. She was like that for awhile and Max had tried to get her to talk to him, particularly in the morning, right after one of her dreadful sleepless nights but she would have none of it. And the girls knew better than any of the others how close she was getting to Alex during the prom right before he died. They had been so happy for Alex, and Isabel too, that she was letting down her guard for him. Who they thought was Alex at the time was so happy and told two of his girls all about it. 

          Isabel had felt horrible afterwards. Imagine, waiting all that time and then right when the person you think you could love, maybe forever, was one day just gone just like that. Everyone knew up until this day she was still trying to get through the tragedy of the supposed death of Alex. And now that he had suddenly reappeared…they weren't sure how she'd react. They all waited to find out.

          Isabel looked back at everyone else because they knew the reason they were all looking at her. She just smiled a small smile. "Don't stop wherever you were in trying to figure all this out because I showed up."

          "Well some of these guys were paranoid," Maria began when Max interrupted. 

          "But rightfully so," he said.

          Maria shrugged, "Sure. They were paranoid that this person wasn't really Alex. And now that Kyle has questioned Alex he has decided that it is in fact Alex." She looked at all the guys. "Which I was trying to tell them, I knew all along."

          Isabel just smiled. Maria was a trip. She had had the same reservations that Alex wasn't really, well, Alex. She figured that if everyone else accepted that this was Alex that she should and would too. She thought that she would feel better about it once she got a chance to actually talk to Alex. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say but she knew that she needed to talk to him. Even if half of her didn't want to. 

          "So now that we agree that this is the real Alex as we know him, who was the fake Alex that returned from Sweden a couple of months ago?" Liz asked.

          "Whoever it was, they planted information in his computer for you or one of us to find after his death," Max pointed out.

          "And why would they want us to think Alex was dead?" Liz thought aloud.

          "Don't forget Tess, the little skank. How would she fit into all of this?" Maria questioned.

          Everyone looked around the room at each member of their group. These were all questions that they would have to answer in order for them to get to the bottom of this situation.


	4. Chapter 4

Author: Lauren          

Author's Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com

Author's Note: Here's another chapter. R/R please! The more reviews I get, the faster I get out these chapters. 

Chapter 4

          The seven reunited friends continued to sit in Liz's room. Kyle had suggested that they just throw ideas or facts out that might help others think of something that may in the end lead to their unraveling of the mystery return of Alex.

          Alex threw out the next random thought. "Before I left for Sweden, I ran into Tess. I told her about Sweden and she encouraged me to go."

          "That wasn't so sweet Alex, she wanted the information that she was ordered to get," Liz told him.

          "Yeah," Alex said slowly, "But I also told her when I'd be back. She had said she had always been interested in Europe. So we exchanged emails and while I was in a Sweden we emailed back and forth, like I did with a few of you guys too."

          "So? What does that have to do with anything?" Michael asked bluntly. Patience was not one of his strong points. Maria nudged him with her elbow and he glanced at her. They shared a look and then he slid his arm around her waist. Maria looked back to Alex as if to tell him to continue. So he did.

          "Well she can't be back on Antar," Alex told them. They had explained to him earlier that after they found out that Tess had supposedly killed Alex, they had left her to stay on Earth while Tess used the granlith to return to Antar.

          "We saw her leave, of course she's back on Antar. Or at the very least she's not on Earth," Kyle said.

          Alex shook his head. "Before I left Sweden I emailed her to tell her when I was returning since I had decided to stay longer than I had first thought. Anyway, if she's not on Earth how could I get a reply message from her?" Alex pointed out.

          Eyes went wide and a few jaws may have even dropped when they heard what Alex had said.

          "Maybe it was someone else?" Liz said, trying to be practical. 

          Alex pondered the thought. "Maybe you're right, I mean, you six did see her leave. So there's no way."

          The talk began to die down after awhile and when Liz glanced at the clock she knew why. It was extremely late. Not surprising seeing as though Alex had arrived when she and Maria were closing up the Crashdown.

          "Why don't we all get some sleep and meet back tomorrow morning?" Liz suggested. Everyone agreed one way or the other. If they didn't verbally acknowledge their thoughts, the yawns spoke for themselves.

          "You can stay here if you want Alex," Liz said, turning to him. "There's a sleeping bag in the closet." 

          "Thanks," Alex said, accepting the invitation. He couldn't very well go home to his house and family. He didn't want to give them a heart attack or send them into a mental institution or anything.

          "I'm staying too," Maria announced. "I'll just borrow some clothes from you tomorrow girlfriend," she said to Liz. Liz nodded to confirm that it was okay with her.

          The three podsters and Kyle stood up, preparing to leave. 

          "Why don't we meet at my place tomorrow because that way we know there won't be anyone around that we won't want," Kyle suggested to the others. 

          "That's a good idea, Kyle," Max agreed. "Let's all meet at Kyle's tomorrow. We need to get to the bottom of this. We don't know what might be connected to this."

          The four filed out of Liz's room to head home. Just as Maria headed to the bathroom to change into a pair of Liz's pajamas that she was borrowing for the night, the door to Liz's room creaked open. Isabel poked her head in and looked to Alex. 

          "Can we talk? You know, just us," she said. He nodded and she pushed open the door farther as an invitation to follow her. "Let's talk down in the Crashdown." Liz watched them both leave out of the corner of her eye. 

          Once Alex and Isabel were down in the Crashdown, Alex took a seat at one of the stools at the bar. Isabel seemed unable to sit. She couldn't even stand still. She paced back and forth as Alex watched in a confused but amused manner.

          Finally Isabel took a seat on the stool next to Alex. 

          "You wanted to talk?" Alex said, just to tell things started. Isabel hadn't said anything since they had both been up in Liz's room.

          "Yeah. It's just…hard to talk to someone who, just a few days ago, I thought was dead and was never coming back," Isabel answered.

          "Well, we could pretend that never happened. Just pretend it's just like it was before the day that you thought I died," Alex suggested.

          Isabel's breath caught in her throat and she looked away from Alex. Instead she looked straight ahead behind the counter. "You don't know what things were like before you…well before you died?" Isabel said almost in the form of a question. She had wished since he had died that she could have another chance. Another chance to do things right with him but now that he was actually here she had no idea what she was going to do or say. 

          Alex shook his head. "I was in Sweden while…my impersonator was here in my place. Things weren't any different were they?" Alex questioned.

          Isabel wasn't sure what her response should be. It's hard when the last time he had returned from Sweden he had been reluctant to get involved with her again. She decided to keep the answer safe.

          "I guess you're right, they weren't too different," she responded. And it wasn't a lie. It wasn't too different. Before prom, long before prom, they had both had feelings for each other even if Alex was the only one who had made his feelings known. And nothing had really happened after prom. It had all ended before it had had a chance to begin.

          "Well okay then," Alex said with a smile. Isabel smiled back. 

          "Well um, it's late, and I promised Max that I'd be right out. He went to drop Michael off at his apartment and then he's coming back for me. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

          Alex nodded. "Yeah, tomorrow."

          "Okay then…well…I'll see you later," Isabel said, not moving from her seat at the bar counter. At first anyway. Then she jumped up and smiled at him again. "Bye."

          "Bye," Alex said.

          Isabel began walking towards the door. When she reached the door she turned back and walked back to Alex. She looked at his eyes and then pulled him into a hug. "I missed you," she whispered. Alex was surprised but hugged Isabel back and when they pulled away he noticed her cheeks were tracked with tears and more were threatening to fall from her eyes. He reached up with his thumb and wiped them away cautiously. They had never been a more intimate moment. Isabel began to lean forward, as did Alex, and their faces were just centimeters away from each other when Isabel took a step back.

          "I hear Max. I'll see you tomorrow at Kyle's," she said hurriedly. She rushed out the door, leaving the bells attached to the Crashdown door chiming a soft tune. Alex sighed and seeing Isabel climbing into the Jeep before Max drove it off, he didn't go after her like he wanted to. Apparently Isabel was the same old Isabel Evans. He trudged back up the stairs to Liz's room. He wondered on the way up if he still wanted to keep pursuing Isabel. He realized it probably was freaky to her, and to everyone else, that he just showed up after they had assumed he had already returned and was dead. He decided that he couldn't give up; it was obvious after the situation that had just occurred in the Crashdown between himself and Isabel that she had realized something about him while he was in Sweden. He also wondered what had happened between the fake 'Alex' and Isabel. Because he wasn't quite sure if he bought Isabel's story that nothing different had happened between them. She sure wasn't acting that way. And he didn't know if what had happened between them was good or bad. But he figured he was going to find out eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

Author: Lauren

Author's Email: PaceysLilMcPhee@aol.com

Author's Note: It's been awhile, huh? Well, I finally have another chapter. Actually, I wrote this awhile ago but I wasn't sure if I was happy with it. However, I don't feel I can improve it at this time so…I thought I'd just post it and you all can give me feedback. Thanks for all the feedback so far! Please keep it coming so I know whether or not to continue!

**Chapter 5**

          Maria came out the bathroom and seeing only Liz in the room, she wondered where Alex had gone. 

          "Lizzie, where'd Alex take off to?" Maria questioned as she tossed her Crashdown uniform on the back of one of the chairs in Liz's room.

          "He's downstairs talking to Isabel," Liz answered as she looked up from her own clothes, which she was busy folding.

          "Ooh…really?" Maria said excitedly. "And why aren't you eavesdropping? Have I taught you nothing?" 

          Liz smiled and shook her head. "Don't you think since they haven't seen each other for awhile and Isabel probably has a lot to tell him, that we should leave them alone?"

          "But don't you want to know what's going on?" Maria asked. The curiosity was even sparkling in her eyes.

          "Well, yes," Liz said hesitating a moment. Before Liz could say anything else Maria grabbed Liz's wrist and began pulling her out of the room. Maria walked quickly but quietly towards the stairs that would lead downstairs to the Crashdown while Liz tried to drag Maria back towards her room. 

          "Maria," Liz hissed, "We should just leave them alone."

          "We are going to leave them alone," Maria whispered back, "We're just going to listen while they're alone downstairs."

          As they both reached the stairs, Maria heard footsteps walking towards them. She turned and began to bolt back towards Liz's room but Liz wasn't quite as fast and they ran into each other, collapsing on the floor. When they looked up, they saw Alex towering over them.

          "Hey Alex," Maria squeaked.

          "What are you doing?" he asked as he helped them up. "Not that it's not obvious or anything."

          "Sorry, we just wanted to hear what was going on," Maria answered after she was back on her feet.

          "No, she wanted to hear what was going on," Liz corrected. "I was just dragged along."

          Alex tried not to smile as he shook his head. "Come on, I'm tired and it's late," he said as he started to walk back to Liz's room with Liz and Maria close behind him.

          "So what did Miss Evans want to talk about?" Maria asked once they were back in the room.

          Alex shrugged. "Just wanted to let me know she missed me. I mean it is a little weird when your friend comes back after you've thought he's been dead for months."

          "That's it?" Maria pressed. 

          "Yeah," Alex confirmed giving Maria a look. A confused look that said he didn't know what else she was expecting him to say.

          Maria looked at Liz. They seemed to share a look of their own and Alex watched them as they exchanged this stare.

          "What?" he said.

          "Nothing. Just wondering." Maria said. Alex had a slightly confused look on his face. Liz and Maria both noticed the look but they didn't want to tell him what they were thinking. They both wanted to know why Isabel hadn't said a thing about how things had been before. Because even if the Alex that had been residing in Roswell at the end of their junior year wasn't the real Alex, Isabel had really been Isabel and Isabel's feelings had been real towards Alex. They wondered if she was planning on saying anything to him. And they weren't sure if they should tell Alex about what had happened and even about the conversation they had had with him after prom. The day he had supposedly died.

          Deciding against telling him any of this, at least yet, Maria flopped onto Liz's bed as Liz headed for the light. 

          "Let's get some shut eye," Maria announced. Alex nodded agreeing and climbed into the sleeping bag that Liz had lugged out of her closet for him. Liz flicked the light off and climbed into her bed next to Maria. 

          " 'Night," she said. She got two mumbled responses from Maria and Alex. Within moments they were all fast asleep.

          The next morning, Maria had driven Alex and Liz over to Kyle's house. Now the three sat at the kitchen table waiting for the other three, Max, Isabel, and Michael, to arrive. Kyle slid some drinks over to them as he took a seat with them.

          "Hey, I wanted ginger ale," Maria said looking down at her drink. Kyle sighed and rolled his eyes annoyed. He grabbed Maria's drink and stomped back over to the refrigerator to exchange the drink. Maria just grinned and leaned over to whisper to Alex. "It's so much fun to make him mad like that."

          Suddenly the sound of a car door closing could be heard. Looking over to Kyle who was busy trying to find some ginger ale for Maria in his fridge and seeing that he was obviously occupied with the task, Liz stood up and walked towards the door.

          Max and Michael entered the house followed by Isabel who was not far behind. Liz waved as she entered the room. 

          "Hey. We're all in the kitchen," Liz informed the three as she jerked her thumb towards the kitchen. Max and Michael passed her but Liz stopped Isabel.

          "Why didn't you tell Alex about this year?" Liz questioned. She tried not to make sound as blunt as it sounded in her head.

          Isabel's eyes glazed over and Liz could tell she was going into that Ice Princess mode. But she didn't regret bringing it up.

          "What's to tell?" Isabel said. And it was just the kind of response Liz was expecting at this moment. 

          "Well, prom for one," Liz pointed out. Isabel seemed to shrug it off. 

          "God Isabel, didn't you ever think afterwards that if you could just have another chance that you'd let him know how you feel?" Liz blurted out. She couldn't believe how frustrated she was over the situation. But she just didn't want Isabel to throw away this chance. After all, how many times do you hear people say that if they could just have a second chance…

          Liz looked to Isabel to see how she'd respond to the comment. 

          "I don't see what there is to tell him. Besides, we're not supposed to get second chances. I'm going to treat this just as if this was the first time he came back from Sweden," Isabel responded. Liz didn't understand how Isabel could think like that after everything she and the others had been through with the supposed death of Alex. Other people around the world would give almost anything for a similar situation where they could have a second chance, for whatever reason, with a person that has long passed on.     

          "I think you're making a mistake," Liz told Isabel. Liz wasn't sure what she could say to make Isabel see that what she was doing was not a good choice so Liz decided to just make it as honest and quick to point as possible. "If I'd asked you before yesterday if you'd want a second chance to change how things were between you and Alex I'm sure your answer would have been different. I think you're making a mistake," Liz repeated. 

          "Whatever," Isabel said. Liz narrowed her eyes but Isabel brushed past her and continued on the path to the kitchen. Isabel was sure she could see Liz shaking her head behind her. And although Isabel had been set to follow the plan she had told Liz she was now having second thoughts. She would never tell Liz that. Isabel didn't want her getting a big head or anything. But maybe she'd think about what Liz had said. Maybe.


End file.
